The Red Planet, our next-door
neighbor in the solar system, will be swinging by Earth on a trajectory that
brings it closer than it has been in 50,000 years. Perhaps the greatest aspect
of this close approach is the public interest in astronomy that has been generated.
When people learn that this event has not occurred in 50,000 years, their attention
is elevated. With a heightened interest in astronomy and Mars in particular,
the Augusta Astronomy Club and the Dupont Planetarium will host a special star
party on August 27, 2003.

Activities will begin at 8:00pm with the presentation of the newest Digistar
special effects show. Other showings will be available at 9:00 and 10:00. Members
of the Augusta Astronomy Club will set up their telescopes to provide visitors
with a glimpse into the heavens. Additionally, the observatory housing the Bechtel
Telescope will be available throughout the evening.

While the approach of an event that has not occurred in 50,000 years draws interest
from the general public, phenomenon such as this can often lead to unintended
outcomes. The last time that Haley’s Comet made a close approach to Earth,
there was much public interest in anticipation of the event. When the comet
finally came, it was disappointingly unspectacular to many in the general public.
It is quite possible that the type of people who were disappointed in Haley’s
Comet will also be disappointed in this 50,000-year event.

There are some who are concerned with the long-term response to astronomical
events that are touted as spectacular and rare. If the public continues to view
such events as unimpressive or events continue to leave the public disenchanted
then the public might become apathetic toward astronomical events. Collectively,
rare events in astronomy are not really that rare. I refer to these rare events
as “astrorarisms.” It is common to find an individual event that
occurs only once over some long period of time. People involved in astronomy
typically have interest in these astrorarism but the general public might not
be particularly impressed.

Astrorarisms seem to have a life cycle. Often, an astrorarism is described in
an astronomy publication and is noticed by a general media outlet. The astrorarism
is then described in the general media and becomes commonly known to the general
public. The anticipation of the event generates excitement from the public,
which generates more coverage from the media. When the event finally occurs,
the public is disappointed and disenchanted.

How should astronomy educators respond to astrorarisms? Those who are concerned
with the long-term public response might suggest that the astrorarisms should
be downplayed early so that the public will not build up excitement that will
end in disappointment. The hype surrounding astrorarisms often is not controllable
by astronomy educators, however. Another approach might be to take advantage
of astrorarisms. Astronomy educatory could help educate the public so that they
don’t get caught in the hype that leads to disappointment but use the
increased interest to help the public gain a better appreciation for and understanding
of the heavens above.
There are a number of sources that can be used to help the general public understand
more about the current Mars/Earth Proximity astrorarism. The following WWW sites
make a great start: http://skyandtelescope.com/, http://www.astronomy.com/,
and http://planetary.org/marwatch2003/.